Lutsk
|timezone=EET |utc_offset=+3 |map_caption =Location of Lutsk within Ukraine |timezone_DST=EEST |utc_offset_DST=+3 |official_name = Luts'k |native_name = Луцьк |nickname = |image_flag = Prapor Lutsk.svg |image_shield = Herb Lutsk.svg |nickname = |motto = |image_map = |mapsize = 250px |map_caption = Map of Ukraine with Lutsk highlighted. |coordinates_display =inline,title |coordinates_region =UA |subdivision_type = Country Oblast Rayon |subdivision_name = Ukraine Volyn Oblast Lutsk Rayon |established_title = Founded |established_date = 1085 |cityrights_title = City Rights |cityrights_date = 1432 |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Mykola Romaniuk |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 42.0 |area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 = |population_as_of = 2005 |population_note = |population_total = 202900 |population_footnotes= |population_metro = |population_density_km2 = 4830|pushpin_map =Ukraine |pushpin_label_position = |pushpin_map_caption =Location of Lutsk |pushpin_mapsize = |latd=50 |latm=45 |lats=00 |latNS=N |longd=25 |longm=20 |longs=09 |longEW=E |elevation_m = 174 ||postal_code_type=Postal code |postal_code = 43000 |area_code = +380 332 |blank_info = |blank1_info = Lublin|blank1_name=Sister cities ||website = www.lutsk.ua |footnotes = }} Lutsk ( , translit. Luts'k, , or Луцк, transliterated Lutchak or Lutsk) is a city on the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Volyn Oblast (province) and the administrative center of the surrounding Lutsk Rayon (district) within the oblast. The city is also designated as a raion of its own within the oblast. The estimated population was around 206,000 ( ). Name etymology Lutsk is an ancient Slavic town, mentioned in the Hypatian Chronicle as Luchesk in the records of 1085. The etymology of the name is unclear. There are three hypotheses: * the name may be derived from the old-Slavic word luka, an arc or bend (of a river) * the name may be derived from Luka, the chieftain of the Dulebs, an ancient Slavic tribe living in the area * the name may be derived from Luchanii (Luchans), an ancient branch of the tribe just mentioned above. Its historical name in Ukrainian is Луцьк; in Bielarusian, Луцак or Луцк; in Russian, Луцк; and in Polish, Łuck; in Yiddish, Loytsk. History According to legends Luchesk was founded in the 7th century. The first known documental reference is from the year 1085. The town was the capital of Halych-Volynia until the foundation of Volodymyr-Volynsky. The town was founded around a wooden castle built by a local branch of the Rurik Dynasty. At certain times the stronghold was the capital of the duchy, but since there was no need for a fixed capital in medieval Europe, the town did not become an important centre of commerce or culture. In 1240 the nearby town was seized and looted by the Tatars, but the castle was not harmed. In 1321 George son of Lev, the last of the line, died in a battle with the forces of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania and the castle was seized by the Lithuanian forces. In 1349 the town was captured by the forces of Casimir III, but it was soon retaken by Lithuania. During the period of Lithuanian rule the town began to prosper. Lubart, son of Gediminas, erected the Lubart's Castle as part of his fortification undertaking. Vytautas the Great founded the town itself by importing colonists (mostly Jews, Tatars, and Karaims). In 1427 he transferred the Catholic bishopric from Volodymyr-Volynskyi to Luchesk. Vytautas was the last monarch to use the title of "Duke of Volhynia" and to reside in Lubart's Castle. The town grew rapidly, and by the end of the 15th century there were 19 Orthodox and two Catholic churches. It was the seat of two Christian bishops, one Catholic and one Orthodox. Because of that the town was sometimes nicknamed the Volhynian Rome. The cross symbol of Lutsk is featured on the highest Lithuanian Presidential award, the Order of Vytautas the Great. ]] In 1429 Lutsk was the meeting place selected for a conference of monarchs hosted by Jogaila and Sophia of Halshany to deal with the Tartar threat. Among those invited were Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Vasili II of Russia, the king of Denmark Eric of Pomerania, Grand Master of the Livonian Order Zisse von Rutenberg, Duke of Szczecin Kazimierz V, Dan II the Hospodar of Wallachia and Prince-electors of most of the countries of Germany. In 1432 Volhynia became a fief of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and Lutsk became the seat of the governors, and later the Marshalls of the Land of Volhynia. That same year, the city was granted Magdeburg rights. In 1569 Volhynia was fully incorporated into the Polish kingdom and the town became the capital of the Volhynian Voivodeship and the Łuck powiat (Polish administrative unit). After the Union of Lublin the local Orthodox bishop converted to Greek-Catholicism. The town continued to prosper as an important economic centre of the region. By the mid-17th century Łuck had approximately 50,000 inhabitants and was one of the largest towns in the area. During the Khmelnytskyi Uprising the town was seized by the forces of Colonel Kolodko. Up to 4,000 people were slaughtered, approximately 35,000 fled, and the town was looted and partially burnt. It never fully recovered. In 1781 the city was struck by a fire which destroyed 440 houses, both cathedrals, and several other churches. In 1795 as a result of Partitions of Poland, Lutsk was annexed by the Russian Empire. The Voivodeship was liquidated and the town lost its significance as the capital of the province (which was moved to Zhytomyr). After the November Uprising (1830–1831) efforts increased to remove Polish influence and Russian became the dominant language in official circles, though the population continued to speak Ukrainian, the Polish population Polish, and the Jewish population Yiddish, if only in private circles. The Greek Catholic churches were turned into Orthodox Christian ones, which led to the self-liquidation of the Uniates here. In 1845 another great fire struck the city, resulting in a further depopulation. In 1850 three major forts were built around Lutsk, and the town became a small fortress called Mikhailogorod. During the First World War the town was seized by Austria-Hungary on August 29, 1915. The town sustained a small amount of damage. During more than a year of Austro-Hungarian occupation Lutsk became an important military centre with the headquarters of the IV Army under Archduke Josef Ferdinand stationed there. A plague of epidemic typhus decimated the city's inhabitants. On June 4, 1916 four Russian armies under general Aleksei Brusilov started what later became known as the Brusilov Offensive. After up to three days of heavy artillery barrage, the Battle of Lutsk began. On June 7, 1916 the Russian forces reconquered the city. After the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1917 the city was seized by Germany on February 7, 1918. On February 22, 1918 the town was transferred by the withdrawing German army to the forces loyal to Symon Petlura. Second Polish Republic During the Polish-Bolshevik War, on May 16, 1919 Lutsk was taken over by the forces of Poland's Blue Army after a heavy battle with the Red Army. The city was devastated and largely depopulated. It witnessed the Soviet counter-offensive of 1920. It was recaptured by Poland's 45th Rifles regiment and field artillery on September 15, 1920. According to American sociologist Alexander Gella "the Polish victory the Red Army had gained twenty years of independence not only for Poland, but at least for an entire central part of Europe.Aleksander Gella, Development of Class Structure in Eastern Europe: Poland and Her Southern Neighbors, SUNY Press, 1988, ISBN 978-0-88706-833-1, Google Print, p. 23 Łuck was designated by the newly-reborn nation of Poland as the capital of the Wołyń Voivodeship. The city was connected by railroad to Lviv (then Lwów) and Przemyśl. Several brand new factories were built both in Łuck and on its outskirts producing farming equipment, wood, and leather products among other consumer goods. New mills and breweries opened. An orphanage was built, and a big new bursary. The first high-school was soon inaugurated. In 1937 and airport was established in Łuck with an area of . The 13th Kresowy Light Artillery Regiment was stationed in the city. In 1938 the construction of a large modern radio transmitter began in the city (see Polish Radio Łuck). As of January 1, 1939 Łuck had 39,000 inhabitants (approximately 17,500 Jews and 13,500 Poles). The powiat formed around the town had 316,970 inhabitants, including 59% Ukrainians, 19.5% Poles, 14% Jews and approximately 23,000 Czechs and Germans. In 1939 as a result of the Invasion of Poland from both sides and the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Lutsk, along with the rest of western Volyn, was annexed by the Soviet Union. Most of the factories (including the almost-finished radio station) were dismantled and sent east to Russia. Approximately 7,000 of the city's inhabitants (mostly Poles) were deported in cattle trucks to Kazakhstan and 1,550 were arrested by the NKVD. After the start of Operation Barbarossa the city was captured by the Wehrmacht, but not before thousands of Polish and Ukrainian prisoners were shot by the retreating NKVD. Upon Nazi occupation most of the Jewish inhabitants of the city were forced into a ghetto and then murdered at the Polanka hill near the city. During the massacres of Poles in Volhynia approximately 10,000 Poles were murdered by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in the area. Following the end of the war the remaining Polish inhabitants of the city were expelled, mostly to the areas sometimes referred to as the Polish Regained Territories. The city became an industrial centre in the Ukrainian SSR. The major changes in the city's demographics had the final result that by the end of the war the city was almost entirely Ukrainian. As one of the largest cities in Western Ukraine, Lutsk became the seat of a General Consulate of Poland in 2003.http://www.konsulat.lutsk.ua/ Industry and commerce Lutsk is an important centre of industry. Factories producing cars, shoes, bearings, furniture, machines and electronics, as well as weaveries, steel mills and a chemical plant are located in the area. * VGP JSC - manufacture of sanitary and hygienic products * LuAZ - automobile-manufacturing plant, part of Bogdan group * SKF - manufacture of bearings, seals, lubrication and lubrication systems, maintenance products, mechatronics products, power transmission products and related services globally * Modern-Expo Goup - one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of equipment (metal shelving, high racks systems, checkouts, stainless steel equipment, POS-equipment and guidance systems) for retail and warehouse use in Central and Eastern Europe. During the Cold War, the city was home to Lutsk air base. Places of interest *Lubart's Castle The history of Lutsk castle covers more than six hundred years. In 1340-1384 Lithuanian Prince Lubart started construction of the castle. However construction was only completed in 1430-1452, during the time of Prince Švitrigaila. The structure is an example of how renaissance architecture can be combined with gothic style. With three high rectangular towers - Vizna (Entrance Tower), Styrova and Vladycha - Lutsk Castle is the main attraction of Lutsk and is the site of numerous different cultural events (e.g. festivals, concerts, exhibitions, knight’s tournaments). *Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral Saint Paul's and Peter's Cathedral was built in 1616-1639 based on a design of Italian architect Giacomo Briano. Among Jesuit cathedrals in Eastern Europe, Lutsk Cathedral is the largest. Originally the architecture was in the renaissance style, and the building now includes examples of baroque and classic as well. The cathedral’s gallery is entered through a main façade which is flanked by two towers. The facade is the most beautiful part of the cathedral’s exterior. The sculpture of God’s Mother is the central feature. She is presented standing on the Earth and fighting with a snake. The entrance is flanked by sculptures of St. Peter and St. Paul. The Jesuit college, which is situated near the Cathedral, was an early higher educational institute, which housed a huge library and student theatre. King Vladyslav spent much time here and the college was attended by children from rich and famous families of Volyn. *Great Synagogue The main Jewish Synagogue is the monument of the Jewish religious architecture of the 17th century. Its main peculiarity is a defensive tower built to the pray hall. The traditional feature of that time building is a number of niches in an arciform. The main Jewish Synagogue was built in order of the king Sygizmund III with the help of Lutsk Jewish community in the 17th century. But the king set two conditions to the Jewish who lived in Lutsk. The first - the synagogue should be lower than the main catholic church and the second - it should defense the city from invasions. Because of this decision the synagogue is a unique monument of the religious architecture. The Synagogue was a powerful center of the Jewish spirituality, education and culture in Volyn. Today the Synagogue building is used by a sport club “Dynamo”. *Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral is one of the most beautiful landmarks of Lutsk. It was built in the period from 1752 – 1755, and was originally a Catholic Church and Bernardine monastery complex. In the ebb and flow of religious influences in Lutsk, the latter half of the 19th century saw the complex pass to the control of the Orthodox Church. With the construction of the bell tower and dome in 1880, the cathedral became the center for the Orthodox community. The cathedral is a two-story building in a horseshoe shape, with two towers in the central portion of the façade. This composition is rare for a monastery and is more like the architecture of a palace. The interior cathedral décor, still preserved today with a two-level carved and gilt iconostasis created by Ukrainian masters, dates back to the 19th century. The cathedral is the dominant architectural feature of the Theater Square and today belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The monastery of St. Vasyl the Great and the St. Catherine Church now occupy buildings of the complex. *Lutheran kirche The Lutheran Church is one of the rare gothic architectural monuments in Volyn. The foundation was laid on June 24, 1906 р. and German colonists church community sponsored the building. Till the 18th century here was the Carmelite monastery. In 1907 the church was sancritified. During 1927-1928 two brick buildings were constructed nearby, which were the place for administration, pastor’s house and a school for 50 pupils. But when the World War II began German colonists were evicted from Volyn. The church was turned into Volyn Regional State Archives, and in pastor’s house they made archives administration and halls for reading. Church’s peaceful existence was disturbed by storm which broke its steep central spire and threw on the ground. But more damages was caused by fire which occurred some years later. At the beginning of the 90-s years the church was fully reconstructed by the local Evangelical Baptist community who began using it for their spiritual needs. *Complex of Lutsk Orthodox Fellowship Protection of Virgin Orthodox Church is the one among two preserved Orthodox churches, built in the royal times of history. Today it is the Cathedral of Lutsk and Volyn eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, of the Moscow Patriarchate; the monument of the national importance. The prototype of the modern church was built in the 12th - 13th century at the place of the wooden church which was destroyed by fire. It was for several times destroyed and rebuilt again. Two church senior priests are buried here: the archpriest Oleksandr Teodorovych († 1879) and the archpriest Oleksandr Ogybovskyi († 1938). Sviato Panteleimonivska chapel was built near the church. In 2002 the 1010th anniversary of Volyn eparchy foundation monument was established. *Market square *House with Chimeras Not far from the Lutsk Castle, in the Old City on the bank of the river Styr is yet another interesting building, called the “Second Castle” by some. The structure is the house-workshop of local sculptor Mykola Golovan, who has been working here for more than 30 years. One can find here the sculptures of beasts, birds and other creatures. Decorated with sculptures of beasts, birds and mythical creatures and demonstrating many different styles including gothic, renaissance, modern and more. Тhe house is famous in Lutsk and is a popular sight for visitors. *Lutsk vault Except the surface city Lutsk has a developed net of the underground routes. The three-leveled vault used to keep sacral objects, ancient canteen, prison, feretories. St. Peter's and Paul's Cathedral vault is the leader among the most mysterious Ukrainian vaults according to the project ILoveUkraine. There are many legends surrounding the unique three-level vault which lies under Saint Peter’s and Paul’s Cathedral. The vault height is especially stunning, in some places reaching 6 meters. In the distant past, the vault connected the Old City of Lutsk with two villages - Shepel and Zhydychyn – which stood nearby, and with Okolnyi Castle and other fortifications in the area. Many famous Lutsk habitants and Roman Catholic bishops were buried in the vault. *Lesya Ukrainka street Details * Parts of two castles (the Upper Castle from the 13th century and the Lower Castle from the 14th century) * A Catholic cathedral (built 1610 as a Jesuit church, reconstructed in 1781) * An Orthodox cathedral (built 1755 as a church and monastery of Bernardines ) * Several monasteries, both Catholic and Orthodox: Basilians (17th century), Dominicans (17th century), Trinitarians (18th century) and Charites (18th century) * Two 16th century Greek-Catholic churches * Lutsk Synagogue (1626–1629) Theatres and Museums Drama Theatre, built in 1939 (during the communist period). (see here) Taras Shevchenko Volyn Regional Music and Drama Theatre is situated in the very centre of Lutsk - Teatralnyi Square. The theatre has two stages (a big and a chamber stage). There are 5 performances for the chamber stage, 11 performances for children and 25 evening performances. The staff often gives performances not only in Ukraine, but also abroad. The chamber stage can seat 50 persons and the big one – 775 persons. Volyn Regional Music and Drama Theatre was created in 1939 by the Approval of the Council of the USSR People’s Commissars. The basis of the creative staff became a company of the Volyn Ukrainian theatre, which had been functioning since 1928 till 1939 under the supervision of Mykola Pevnyi, Mykola Sadovskyi and Panas Saksaganskyi pupil. On February 29, 1940 the first performance by Oleksandr Korniichuk “Platon Krechet” was staged here. In February 2011 Anatolii Glyva became the head of the theatre and in March of the same year the Honored Art Worker Petro Lastivka became the art director. Children's Puppet Theater. Volyn Regional Academic Puppet Theatre is situated in the city centre. The theatre was opened on 16, March, 1976. In 2008 it gained the title Academic. The theatre building was constructed in 1890. The drama theatre was situated here till 1975 and later it occupied its present place. The theatre repertoire consists of 30 performances of the Ukrainian and foreign fairy tales, stories for children, adopted adult performances and literature. The chief and art director of the theatre – honored art worker of Ukraine Danylo Poshtaruk. Museum of Regional Studies. Address: Shopena St. 20. Museum of Ukrainian army and ammunition opened in 1999. Address: Lutsk, vul. Taborishi 4. The Volyn Regional Military Museum is the only military museum in Western Ukraine. It is a branch of the Ukrainian National Military Historical Museum. The museum is divided into two sections: the open-air display of modern military equipment and armament and the chronological display of historical military items. Today the collection includes 1000 items and presents aviation and armoured equipment, artillery and artillery weapons, small arms, various military support and communication devices. In addition, the museum displays a variety of historically important military artifacts: battle flags, uniforms and other personal items, documents and pictures, works of art, military trophies and more. Other related thematic exhibitions are frequently offered in the museum. Museum of Volyn Icon was opened in August 1993. Relatively small museum in the centre on the town. Has some interesting and very old icons. Address: vul. Yaroshchuka 5. (behind the Lesia Ukrainka Volyn State University). The Volyn Icon Museum provides a view of the unique regional Volyn icon-painting school of the 16th-18thcenturies. The museum collection includes icons, items of church decorative carvings, and sculptures. The exhibits are arrayed in 8 exhibition halls. More than 100 icon paintings present the diverse creative styles of professionals and folk masters. The development of the art form in Volyn is characterized by the work from different painting centers in the region. Works of the prominent Ukrainian artist Iov Kondzelevych are included in the collection. Since 2000 the Volyn Icon Museum has become a destination for pilgrims: the collection includes the marvelous Chelm icon of the Blessed Virgin, the most ancient icon in Ukraine. The museum also hosts thematic meetings, presentations, chamber music concerts and clerical choral performances. Festivals *'"Jazz Bez" ― the Trans-Border Jazz Marathon'. "Jazz Bez" is the most large-scale and long-lasting Ukrainian jazz festival that uses jazz energy to unite many Ukrainian and Polish cities presenting the best Western musicians to them. Every year the city of Lutsk joins the marathon. The main tasks of the festival are the following: creative and organizational exchange of the organizers’ experience; uniting people of different walks of life, countries and ages; propaganda and development of the jazz music; introducing new jazz trends and new playing techniques to young musicians and audiences; development of the cooperation between artists and cultural institutions; enforcing the cultural dialogue; trans-border circulation of artists and artistic objects; professional development of young musicians; encouraging arts organization to create international jazz projects. The Lutsk part of the festival usually takes place in the Puppet Theatre ― the place with the best acoustics in the city. *'International jazz folk festival "Musical dialogues"'. "Musical Dialogues" is the only jazz folk festival in the Volyn region of Ukraine. It is aimed at development of ethnic music of different countries (Ukraine being the priority) together with improvisational music ― the jazz. We try to revive authentic musical art and to maintain artists who interpret this art form in a new way. The festival is a trans-border project directed towards the involvement of musicians from all the Europe. The annual open-air music festival usually lasts for 2 days in the end of May and takes place in the adorable XIV century Lutsk castle. *'Art Show "Night at Lutsk Castle"'. There is one night in Lutsk when life is swirling in the medieval castle until dawn. The entire community looks forward to the art show "Night at Lutsk Castle" the whole year round. Under cover of the shortest summer night each participant has the opportunity to represent the personage of knight, crowned person, the court servant or artisan. The old romantic atmosphere, created by dances and music of the Middle Ages, knights' tournaments, and lots of candles, fire show, mulled wine, walks in the phaeton and mysterious cave, can return people to the past ... "Night at Lutsk Castle" – is a synthesis of ancient and modern, history and art. Night extravaganza lets get acquainted with many genres of art and popular performers. Master Class is conducted by famous masters of folk art, artists, film directors and video-art, members of clubs of historical reconstruction. During 2007-2012 years in the walls of Lutsk castle the medieval atmosphere was reproduced by musical groups, such as "Stary Olsa" and "Testamentum Terrae" from Belarus, "Tryzna" from Poland, "Bakchus" from the Czech Republic, "Lviv menestreli" and "Kings & Beggars" from Lviv and Lithuanian theater of historical reconstruction "Viduramziai", historical reconstruction clubs "Aquitania" (Lutsk). Contemporary music was presented by Slavko Vakarchuk and band "Okean Elzy", Oleg Skrypka and group "VV", Ruslana, popular musical groups "Haydamaky", "Zdob si zdub" (Moldova), "Mgzavrebi" (Georgia), "Rock-H"and many others. *'The Youth Alternative Music and Modern Art Festival "Bandershtat"'. Seemingly peaceful Volyn is an insurrectional land, the land of Ukrainian heroes who were the symbol of the spirit of the Ukrainian people. In its virgin forests the Ukrainian independence and national freedom movements were hardened. Generations of indomitable fighters, remembered by all Ukrainian patriots, lived and battled here. On these glorious lands in 2007 the idea of the Ukrainian alternative music and modern art festival "Bandershtat" was born. It is a cultural and art event, marked by patriotic content and spirit. Today the festival presents literary performances, meetings with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army veterans, sporting and art events, discussions with famouspoliticians and public figures, patriotic flash mobs, an eternal flame, historical reconstructions, and evening film presesntations. The Ukrainian spirit festival“Bandershtat” is proclaimed to be a non-alcohol event. The festival headliners in the past have been bands such as "Anna", "Tartak", "Tin Sontsia", "Horta", "Dymna Symish", and more. This year headliners will be bands "Komy Vnyz", "TNMK", "Kozak System" (formerly "Haidamaky"). *'The salo lovers’ festival "To Salo with Love"', Lessia Ukrainka Central Park. Everybody who loves Ukrainian salo will come to Lutsk to take part in the 7th festival "To Salo with Love"! The festival was recognizedfour times in the Book of Records of Ukraine – the biggest salo sandwich in the world (76 m), the first Salo and Pig monument in the world, the world’s record insalo eating speed (1 kilogram per 10 minutes and 55 seconds), the biggest football in the world made of salo (diameter – more than 6 m, weight – more than 400 kilograms). The festival program is fun and interesting with salo lovers’ competitions, displays and a market of items made of salo and salo itself. *'International Music Festival "Stravinsky and Ukraine"', Lutsk, Ustyluh (Volodymyr Volynskii region). The International Music Festival "Stravinsky and Ukraine" is the only festival in Volyn promoting classical music in all its genres and styles. The festival’s main aim is to popularize the creative works of Igor Stravinsky and to teach more about his connections with Ukraine. The festival also aims to promote the best examples of classical music of the world and Ukraine. The main feature of the festival is a gala concert held in the open air on June 17 (Stravinsky’s birthday) every year near the composer’s house-museum in Ustyluh. The event, on a large mobile stage, attracts larger and larger audiences from Volyn, Ukraine and other countries. The festival’s priority is performing Stravinsky premiere works which have not been performed in Ukraine before, or which are not recorded. The first festival was held in 1994, and has been an annual event since 2005. *'International festival "Polessian Summer with Folklore"'. Festival "Polessian Summer with Folklore" is an international fest of songs and dances. During these festive days Lutsk citizens and cityguests get acquainted with the folklore and traditions of various foreign groups. During the festival a special atmosphere of neighborhood and friendship among people is established. The festival guests are numerous groups from abroad and different parts of Ukraine. During the 12 years of this festival 6766 participants have particpated, among them 80 foreign groups from 41 countries and 86 groups from Ukraine. Because of this festival, Ukraine became the 69th official member of CIOFF in 1994 at the meeting of the CIOFF General Assembly. Festival events take part at the Regional Music and Drama Theatre, Lesya Ukrainka Central Park, Lutsk Palace of Culture, the grounds of Lutsk castle, the stadium “Avangard”, the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral and St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church and on outdoor stages in different Lutsk districts. *'Art Festival "The Straw Bird"'. A lot of participants are joining the creative family. Blacksmiths from Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Zhytomyr, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk and other cities. There is a special fair during this festival for the participants. The most active artists and viewers receive gifts from the organizers. Previous Festivals left behind a wrought works that are exhibited in Lutsk castle - a decorative wrought iron candle holders on the grid "crown Vytautas" that annually set on fire on the action "Night in Lutsk castle." Organizers: Association of Volyn "Charm Art," art studio "Ole-art" (founders Oleg and Olga Grytsiuk), Department of Culture at the city council. Others Lutsk Compact Overhead Powerline, a powerline of unusual type. Famous people from Lutsk *Alojzy Feliński — Polish scientist and writer *Anatoliy Tymoshchuk — Ukrainian football player *Boleslaw Kontrym, officer of the Polish Home Army, executed by the Communists *Florian Siwicki, General of the Polish Army *Mikolaj Kruszewski, Polish 19th century linguist *Iwan Tkatschuk, Officer of the Polish Army *Oksana Zabuzhko - contemporary Ukrainian poet, writer and essayist *Peter Bondra — Ukrainian-born Slovak ice hockey player *Raul Bajczman - contemporary Ukrainian-Argentinian politician born in Lutsk in 1927 *Sasha Bonilova - Playboy model, Playmate of the Month for May 2011 *Shmuel Shilo - Israeli theatre and cinema actor *Shimshon Unichman, Israeli politician and member of the Knesset *Svetlana Zakharova- A Russian Ballet dancer *Tetiana Naumovych-Senzyuk — born in 1982, artist *Tartak — all the group members were born in Lutsk *Zalman Sorotzkin - Famous Jewish Rabbi, Author *Anzhelika Savrayuk - member of the Italian group of rhythmic gymnastics was born in Lutsk, 3 times world champion in group all around, bronze medallist in the group all around at London 2012 International relations Twin towns — Sister cities Lutsk is twinned with: In popular culture The NKVD and Nazi massacres are mentioned in the Prix Goncourt awarded novel The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell. Is a location taken over by post-apocalyptic slavers in the Sci-Fi/Adventure Novel The Crisis Pendant by Charlie Patterson See also * Lutsk Automobile Plant * The Centre for Tourist Information and Services (Lutsk City, Senatorky Levchankivs'koi St. 2) We are in love with Lutsk, the city which is ancient and modern at the same time, an intercultural and cozy place. It will be our pleasure to assist you during your stay in Lutsk. The Center for Tourist Information and Services provides: *Free information about the city, its tourist attractions in Ukrainian and foreign languages. *Free city maps. *Free self-guided excursions (in text or audio versions). *Excursions to order around the city and suburbs. *Consultation about restaurants, accommodations, transport, etc. *Unique souvenir products made by Volyn craftsmen and “Volyn” football team souvenirs. In the Center for Tourist Information and Services you can use Wi-Fi provided by Intertelecom. References External links * Official tourist website * * www.lutsk.ua/english/ — Official website of Lutsk City Council * www.lutsk.ua — Official website of Lutsk City Council * welcome.lutsk.ua — European Lutsk * luchesk.blogspot.com — Lutsk the Orthodox * Lutsk, Ukraine — Historic images of Lutsk * Lutsk, Ukraine — Steinberg family history site * Photos of Lutsk * Category:Lutsk Category:Cities in Volyn Oblast Category:Established in 1085